Fausto Oppo
Capitano Fausto Oppo is an Italian officer serving on Sicily in 1943 at the village of Valerno. When the Americans arrive at Valerno, they discover that the town, under the charge of Italian Army captain Fausto Oppo and Mayor Giuseppe Romano, and has been expecting them and will willingly turn itself over to the Americans provided they are permitted to complete a soccer match and a wine festival. Captain Lionel Cash, more interested in "by-the-book" military conduct, refuses, but the experienced Lieutenant Jody Christian persuades him to allow the festival so no lives will be risked. During the festival, Cash continues to insist on strict military discipline and conduct but even he soon falls to the frivolity when he encounters the Mayor's attractive daughter Gina. Christian and Mayor Romano ply him with liquor to keep him sated. Cash is soon drunk and beds Gina. His attempts to restore discipline crumble and the celebrations continue. The next morning, all the Americans and Italians are asleep from the celebration. Lt. Christian is roused by a messenger who tells him that Major Pott, a division officer, is on the way to Valerno and will arrive in a few minutes' time. He wakes up Cash, who panics and proves useless. Christian takes command and gathers the men, only to find that they have all traded their uniforms with the Italians due to a bad card hand during the night. He is not able to get the men to their senses, so he has the Americans, dressed in Italian uniforms, hide while the Italians are forced to masquerade as Americans. Pott is tricked by Christian's convincing lies of heavy combat and promises a massive airstrike on the town. Hearing this, the "Italians" capture Pott and lock him in a vault in the middle of a maze to prevent him from ordering the air attack. Captain Oppo prepares to surrender, only to find that Gina, his girlfriend, has slept with Cash. Enraged, he calls off the surrender. The situation escalates into a massive bare-hands battle. At that moment, a reconnaissance aircraft flies over Valerno and takes a picture of the brawl for General Bolt; Bolt prepares to order the air attack. Christian manages to escape the fight and finds Cash to update him on what has happened and to bring him to negotiate another surrender. When the talks go nowhere, Christian offers another option; both sides must fake a battle together to dissuade Bolt from the air attack. As the "battle" occurs, a German aircraft appears and photographs the action; the German high command, finding great value in Valerno, orders an attack. The Germans easily capture the town and take everyone prisoner. The two Captains argue over who is to blame. Suddenly, Cash falls into the maze; after fighting off a crazed Major Pott, he plans an escape for the men through the labyrinth with Oppo and Christian, after which they can retake the town from the Germans. The first men are soon escaping, but Cash, disguised as a woman, is abducted by a German officer. Gina Romano is also taken by the Germans and hears that the prisoners will be shot in the morning. Escaping their captors, Cash reunites with Gina, and she tells him of the impending execution. When a few German troops discover the escape, the escapees subdue them and devise a plan to abduct Germans, dress them in their uniforms, and substitute them for prisoners. Gradually, the Americans and Oppo's men are all freed, and, in the morning, capture the main German force. When Bolt arrives with reinforcements, Cash, having become attached to C Company and Valerno, tells Bolt the Italians will not surrender until they have had a party. Bolt initially refuses but eventually relents. With the war now far away, the Americans and Italians celebrate through the night. Notes *He and his men seem to wear the coloured collar patches of the 17th Infantry Division "Pavia", which only served in North Africa and had been almost totally destroyed. The Divison was officially dissolved 25th November 1942. Gallery Oppo and Cash.jpg|Oppo and Cash. Christian and Oppo.JPG|Christian and Oppo. Christian, Rizzo and Oppo.jpg|Christian, Rizzo and Oppo. What Did You Do in the War, Daddy.jpg Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto Oppo, Fausto